We've been partying today. A belated 4th birthday celebration for Johnny and his friends (with no pesky elder-sibling-limelight-stealing!). I'm whacked.
We had a good time though. Especially the Mummies.
See what happens when the power goes off and you are forced to drink wine at lunchtime because a cup of tea is out of the question?
Clothespins? Clothespegs? Whatever you call them, I've had them on my mind of late. Outdoor drying weather is approaching (Alice is obviously a hardier specimen than I am, because she told me her washing was on the line today, but I'm clearly a fair weather pegger).
Up until last spring I was wedded to my tumble drier. I bought it when Mark was born and had fallen deeply for it's rotating charms. But Amy wooed me to the washing line last year and to my surprise, I loved it. The steady rhythm of bend, shake and peg. The smell of the outdoors on your sheets. The few quiet garden moments stolen in the middle of housework. And now, the chance to compose a haiku too.
Because Amy's blog also provided this idea. Some letter stamps, a heat set ink pad and my boring old pegs. Wash day joy. And face it, with boys like mine, every day is wash day round here.
Although some items will still need more gentle handling. The Klaralund - she's all stitched up, worn in and ready for her first launder.
Why I hadn't anticipated it, I don't know, but the pace of full time parenting caught me unawares this half term. Busy busy busy. Makes me appreciate the reprieve that our normal school routine allows me. But it was fun and I will be sad tomorrow to have to leap into the shower and begin chivying as soon as the alarm rings. Maybe my new shower puff will help me get moving.
It's the colour of sunshine.
As you can imagine, not too much crafting happened this week. But some excellent post arrived. A spring Marie Claire Idees from lovely Monica who knows I struggle to get my hands on a copy. I have only had the briefest of flick throughs, but I plan on proper indulgence soon.
And a package from Hay. I had lusted after some felt cut-work mats on her blog a while back and she tracked some down for me! How kind is that?
But it didn't stop there. Oh no, because she is seriously talented lady, and runs an eco-fashion business, making stuff like this button pendant: 
It's the details which always sucker me - how cool is the vintage tin packaging? And you just know that when somebody had tags this creative:
their goods are going to be something special. And they are. But my photos aren't. Sorry.
Now I have some post of my own to send out - a Miniswap parcel for the lovely girls of my partner (which is wrapped and ready and only ever so slightly late) and something in return for Hay which I haven't even started. I think overall that earns me a C minus. Can I plead mitigating circumstances?
First there was the selection of a novice sweater pattern , then the anticipation of the yarn shopping trip before I could do as much as cast on a single stitch.
Noro Silk Garden: Colour 228 for Klaralund by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton
Then learning to block and sew up the body seams all while keeping my fingers crossed that the thing actually fits me.
Now I am waiting waiting as patiently as I can for the sleeves to finish drying so I can sew them up and attach them
I might have a finished sweater to show you soon. If my boys can bring themselves to stop squabbling or getting up to feats of impending mortal danger for 5 minutes.
On the other hand, my idea of shortening the sleeves to three quarter length might totally backfire, in which case we'll see how good my ripping out and re-doing is.
My baby boy turned 4 today. Four - that's scary stuff. I hadn't given too much thought to not having a member of the three-and-under brigade in our household. But evidently my subconscious had been working overtime on it. Because this morning I woke up from a dream about delivering Mark to university. When I told hubby, he said "Which one?" - how's that for intellectual snobbery?
Thankfully such thoughts were quickly swept aside by the excitement of unwrapping of parcels, a spectacular new birthday shirt (thanks Auntie Tess) and a visit from one of my oldest and dearest friends and her brood.
Cake and candles had to wait until later than scheduled though, because a quick trip to Accident & Emergency got in the way.
Mark went flying over the handlebars of Johnny's scooter onto the tarmac. Thank goodness he was wearing a helmet or the damage would have been a lot lot more serious.
As it is, they stuck him back together again and he seems none the worse for wear. At least he has learnt some valuable life lessons - Mummy's draconian rules regarding wearing helmets when riding bikes are there for a reason and in a contest of flesh vs road, there is only ever going to be one winner.
I deserve a large glass of wine and an early night. Giving birth often seems the easy part of bringing them up and keeping them in one piece. I would share Johnny's birth story, but the straightforward ones which are done and dusted in three hours seldom get air time. That's my little (big) boy. Uncomplicated, undemanding, but very special for it. Happy Birthday Johnny.
Sunny weather (albeit freezing) always brings with it the possibility of turfing the boys out in the garden and doing a bit of sewing. In the hazy pre-Christmas past, Florence sent me a chalk pencil which I hadn't had a reason to test drive until now. It passed with flying colours - what a handy contraption.
Used it to outline the template for a smocket, which I had been dying to sew ever since Alicia posted the pattern. Sometimes you just need to hang onto the thoughts swirling at the back of your head until the opportunity presents itself to try something.
We are officially on half-term this week. I'm looking forward to the break in routine. We have a birthday to celebrate, friends to see, opticians to visit, shoes to replace and adventures to be had. Hope your week is looking full of fun too.
This morning, my friend asked: 'Did you do anything for Valentine's Day?'
Me: 'Oh yes, but not with my husband. '
I didn't realize how it sounded until I registered the shock on her face. I meant with the children. Really, my life just doesn't have room for that sort of drama.
Just cards made by little people.
And the odd cupcake.
We aren't much for big romantic gestures at our house. Though I did manage a gift for hubby.
Because home really is where my heart is.
Hope your day was sweet and special.
I was all excited when Alice tagged me with this Archive meme. But I've found it much harder to do than I thought. I found that my posts in isolation make me cringe slightly - the same embarrassed feeling that prompted me to throw away all my teenage diaries a while back. Now that was cathartic decluttering!
I am meant to revisit my archives for something relevant to the following headings:
Family - well, here we are. The best thing about my family - they know me. There's no escaping the truth with them around to point it out to me. Keeps me honest.
Friends - I don't write too much about real life friends. I figure they are entitled to a bit of privacy. Blog friends are free game and I'm lucky enough to have heaps of blog chum meet ups and parcel exchange posts in my archives. But for me the purest example of blog friendship was the Minimoopy love experience. For my 100th blog post, I asked for some help with a charity project and was totally overwhelmed by the support which bloggers gave. That's friendship for you.
Yourself - This is the category I find hardest to revisit. Some of these posts are the most personal and painful, but they are also where I know from your comments that my ramblings have reached out and touched other people. Focus on the comments not so much the posts if you read these. Because the wisdom and support of the people who come and visit me here is a beautiful thing.
Something you love - Place - glamping. I just booked to go again (in April - brrrr). Object - my dovecote. Culinary labour of love - these.
Anything - The most commented on post? This one - because I guess blogging or reading blogs is the one element of what appears here that we all have in common. And it taught me humility, because replying to and connecting with all those comments took a very very long time.
Now if you made it through all those linky links you deserve a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Cupcake?
Tagging folks feels a bit like doling out work because this took me a loooong time. But perhaps I'm just slow and you may enjoy taking a trip down through your own archives. So if you fancy doing it, I'd love to see your highlights. But I'd especially love to see the things chosen by Florence of Flossie Teacakes and Megan from The Scent of Water. The reason? In common with Alice, who tagged me with this, they write things which often stick in my head and flavour my thoughts for the day.
The "Simplicity" photo swap deadline really crept up on me and I hate being late, so while the boys took off swimming this afternoon, I got my act together and packaged up my parcel. The photo I chose in the end was this one:
Partly for the way it looks, but partly because I took it when we went 'glamping' and it reminds me of all the advantages of leading a simple life. I hope my partner likes it (can't tell you who she is, because it's a secret!).
I made a book with a sewn binding for her too. Because I am totally smitten with the idea of DIY bookbinding and she was the obvious choice for a guinea-pig.
The title is 'A day of simple pleasures' and the pages are made from envelopes, holding the following series of photos:
A sunrise, sharing breakfast, hand knitted dishcloth, warm socks, a beautiful walk.
If you missed out on this round, Megan is thinking of making the photo swap a regular thing. And you can see some of the great pictures being swapped over at the Flickr group. I love looking at all the different interpretations of simplicity (and wondering which one is destined to be heading my way).
A fortifying breakfast seemed to be in order, having almost fainted in the shower this morning.
I gave blood yesterday for the first time since having the boys. It's something I used to do regularly, but what with pregnancy, birth and babies, I've only just got myself together to go back. I've never had any problems donating in the past, so this morning was a bit of a shock. I suppose you have to expect some changes with (cough) age (cough). Oh, and the fact that my children are bleeding me dry every waking minute of the day. But let's not go there.
Johnny's favourite song on the radio at the moment is Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. But I don't think he has grasped the subtle art of metaphor.
Johnny: Mama, if she keep keep bleeding, she gonna be dead!
So it's only taken 5 days of February to realize that my least favourite month of the year is now behind us. Poor old January - it has few redeeming features in my book.
I am still loving taking part in Project 365. Those tiny memories of the everyday.
I wonder what an Archaeologist or Historian of the future would draw as conclusions from them. My own conclusions?
The compulsion to knit has caught me in it's grasp. It started with hats. Yes, plural because they were quick and easy to make, the whole family got one. Mark even got one with pompoms.
And then I met Kristina, who had a guilty yarn stash secret she wanted to offload. Lucky me!
So I made a table runner (with very wonky edges). I'm still learning okay?
And I think I could become seriously wedded to hand knit socks. Although it may take a while before my drawer is this well stocked.
Hell, I've even applied to join Ravelry, so I must be serious. But I am surprised at myself, because knitting takes a loooong time from idea to finished item and quick projects are more my normal style. And boy is it an expensive pastime.
Particularly when (egged on by Monica) I spend an obscene amount of money on Noro and beautiful needles. That was a fun shopping trip!
But I figure you may as well enjoy the experience. This is destined to be a Klaralund sweater, because I fell in love with Tania's. But it may be a while in coming.
I think knitting is my lesson in enjoying the process rather that focusing only on the end product. Now I've got to go, because my fingers are starting to twitch again.
